I am still surprised, after almost a year, how gross ocha can be if made with tap water here.
I’ve probably been spoiled, living in L.A. where water comes from high up in Colorado. Here, it comes from groundwater, where there’s lots of minerals.
Although I can tell when I’ve been served tap water in restaurants in L.A., it just doesn’t compare to the tap water here. In L.A. it’s fine using tap water for instant ramen; I don’t drink the broth, and the taste of the water isn’t intrusive enough to ruin the noodles. Here, tap water makes the already salty noodles noticeably more salty. Which, yes, tastes just as bad as it sounds.
But honestly, I probably would not have noticed the difference in the ramen if it hadn’t been for my beloved ocha. I can use the tap water fine to make rice, tortellini, wonton soup. It’s the ocha where I really, really noticed a not-so-subtle disgusting taste that ruined the green tea.
Now I buy distilled water, specifically, at the market to get nice ocha. I use it only for ocha and ramen. I also buy water with “minerals added for taste” just for drinking. (That’s the one at the market I go to. I have to go to another market entirely for distilled water. And non-molassassed bread.) I can taste when C has used the water kettle for instant ramen, it makes my ocha bad. boo. But I can’t tell him, Use the expensive, nice-tasting water! If he doesn’t notice a difference in the ramen, there’s no reason I should waste more money keeping my ocha nice. I just have to remember to empty the kettle of water before I add my own.
Just two more weeks, and I get to go home to nice water.